Three, Specialties!

Merlin dreamed that he had become a lynx, a young one that had only recently been weaned. Under the guidance of an adult lynx, he learned how to survive and hunt in the mountains and forests.

But a group of human hunters suddenly appeared and shot the adult lynx dead. He desperately tried to flee, play dead, and snarl, but in the end he still couldn't get away. He was locked in a cramped iron cage, taken into human society, and sold to a man.

From then on, he was fed only three meals in six days and was constantly lashed. He struggled and snarled, until he was finally tamed. But one night, after a sudden explosion, a human cub suddenly burst in front of him.

Not long after,

he was brutally beaten unconscious.

"Merlin? What's wrong?"

Yol saw that Merlin, whose body had been trembling until just now, had finally calmed down. Sweat was beading on him, and he sat with his head lowered, completely still. Worried, she gently touched his shoulder.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

A gentle call reached his ears. Merlin's eyelids trembled, then slowly opened a narrow slit. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, but soon his gaze cleared.

"Merlin..." Yol called to him again, still worried. Merlin raised a hand to stop her, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand as those unfamiliar lynx memories echoed through his mind.

"I'm fine. I accidentally fell asleep just now and had a nightmare."

His voice was a little hoarse as he replied. Yol paused, then rose gracefully and knelt behind Merlin. She supported his chin with both thumbs and gently massaged his temples with her fingers.

Merlin immediately felt uncomfortable and was just about to pull away.

"Don't move." Yol's voice was soft but firm as she chided him.

At the same time, her touch grew even gentler.

Lami followed her example, rising onto her knees. She tugged at the sleeve on her right arm with her left hand, gathered the cuff in her right, and gently wiped the sweat from Merlin's forehead. Seeing him roll his eyes at her, Lami grinned and imitated Yol.

"Don't move. Lami's taking care of you, Brother Merlin!"

Merlin looked at her helplessly. Just then, Yol sat down on the floor, and Merlin was drawn into her arms. His head came to rest on a soft spot.

Looking down at Merlin in her arms, Yol smiled warmly and continued massaging him with gentle movements. She rested her chin on the top of his head and asked softly,

"Are you feeling any better now?"

Damn, she's so gentle!

Merlin felt helpless. The sensation was very familiar. It's like when I used to have headaches as a child, and you'd massage me like this.

Yol's hands paused, then she gently nodded. Feeling her chin press against the top of his head, Merlin sighed.

"Time really flies."

"By the way, Merlin, you can control calamities. So your headaches should be cured by now, right?"

Yol looked very hopeful.

"Mm," Merlin replied softly. "They're cured. This isn't a headache. It's something else. Don't worry, I'm perfectly healthy."

Hearing that, Yol relaxed as well and let out a breath. Feeling the warmth of her chin on his head, Merlin slowly closed his eyes again.

After wiping away the sweat, Lami sat beside Merlin with her legs hugged to her chest. Resting her chin lightly on her knees, she tilted her head and stared at Merlin's face without blinking.

"Your eyelashes are so long, even longer than mine. And your skin is so nice!"

Yol gave Lami a reproachful look.

"Shoo, go take a nap. You need a proper rest. You still have sword training this afternoon!"

Lami giggled and puffed out her cheeks at Yol, shaking her head like a rattle. "No way! I'm full of energy right now. It's all Brother Merlin's fault for taking away all my fatigue!"

Merlin's eyelids twitched. He chuckled and scolded her,

"You ungrateful little thing. Fine, from now on I'll wait until you get home at night to help you. Then you can spend the day savoring all those aches and pains!"

"Uh..." Lami's expression froze, and she stared at Merlin in shock. "You weren't asleep? Brother Merlin, how could you eavesdrop on us?"

Merlin couldn't be bothered to answer. He relaxed and leaned against Yol. She sighed.

"Honestly, you two! I don't even know what to say about you!"

Even with his eyes closed, the Equipment Slot still appeared in his vision. At that moment,

Merlin felt a surge of excitement.

He looked at the equipped [Lynx]. Its Synchronization Value had already reached [25%].

And just then, the Equipment Slot's display changed:

Name: [Laplace. Merlin]

Skills and Specialties: [Beginner Level Lynx Body Tempering Technique, Beginner Level Swordsmanship, Beginner Level Lynx Contemplation Technique]

Special Specialty: [Lightning Reflexes]

"Could it be that an equipped creature's Synchronization Value only has a chance of granting its special specialty once it reaches 25%?"

Merlin looked at the first special specialty to appear in his Equipment Slot:

[Lightning Reflexes]: You were born to stand at the top of the food chain. Your body possesses keen sensory systems and an efficient neural transmission mechanism, allowing you to react quickly and coordinate your body with precision.

As Merlin studied this specialty, he could clearly feel that something about him had changed, even though he wasn't moving at all.

Equipping the [Lynx] gave him the various biological traits of a lynx, but Merlin knew those effects were only temporary. Once he unequipped it, those enhancements would naturally disappear.

But now, a sense of fullness seemed to flow through his body from within.

It was no longer the slightly disconnected, half-real, half-illusory sensation he'd felt before. This was something real and tangible, a quality he could clearly feel within himself.

His talent had undergone a transformation.

As he carefully sensed the changes in his body, he looked again at the other two skill specialties he'd gained over the past few days through arduous training.

[Beginner Level Swordsmanship]: Your past life experience allows you to distinguish weapons such as swords and blades. You are a beginner at swordsmanship. You no longer swing a blade at your enemies like a layman brandishing a fire poker. You have entered this field.

[Beginner Level Lynx Contemplation Technique]: Thanks to the blessings of your past life, as well as your experience synchronizing with the [Lynx], you have learned how to contemplate within your consciousness. Through contemplation, you sense the existence of the lynx and use it to temper your mind and will.

A few days ago, after learning the basics of swordsmanship, Merlin had trained tirelessly, and the swordsmanship specialty had appeared in his Equipment Slot. Because of his own understanding, Beginner Level Swordsmanship had naturally changed into swordsmanship with a blade.

Merlin didn't give it another thought.

The Lynx Contemplation Technique in the Equipment Slot had come about in much the same way. He had naturally learned it after that event a week ago.

Looking at the four specialties in the Equipment Slot, Merlin felt a surge of delight.

"It feels so good to grow stronger."

The feeling was addictive.

As he trained diligently, each time he broke through the limits of his body and mind, and each time he absorbed the calamity stored within him, he could tell that the next breakthrough would be harder to reach.

All of this proved...

That he really was growing stronger.

And sparring with Yol was the best way to test it.

At first, she'd knocked him flying with her sword. Later, all he'd felt was soreness in his arms. Now, thanks to his agility and ability to redirect force, he could hold her back.

Merlin was even more certain that, with his current [Lightning Reflexes], he could absolutely toy with her in a fight.

Hm?

Merlin suddenly paused in thought. Toy with her? Why had he thought of toying with her? Why would he want to toy with her?

Something felt wrong.

Merlin quickly realized it was the lynx's feline nature to "play."

Was it because he'd been contemplating the lynx? Was it the influence of the animal instincts that came from contemplating this creature?

Or was it because he was synchronizing with the lynx? Was there a hidden risk in his Synchronization Value continuing to rise?

This subtle, negative influence on his mind dampened his excitement and left him feeling uneasy.

The change showed on his face: his brows began to knit together slightly.

Seeing Merlin, Lami tilted her head and reached out to touch his brow, gently smoothing it. Yol looked puzzled.

"Lami, what's wrong with him?"

Lami stared at Merlin's furrowed brows and answered bluntly, "His brows are knitted. Did Brother Merlin think of something upsetting again?"

Yol pressed her lips together and was about to do something when Merlin opened his eyes and reached out to take Lami's right hand. Her hand was plump and soft.

Merlin sat up, shook his head, and said,

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about something related to my training. Don't worry."

Yol asked uncertainly, "Then why not ask Teacher Fiore's two children?"

Fiore hadn't appeared at all during the past week, so Yol hadn't suggested going to see him. Instead, she mentioned his two children, whom Fiore had praised endlessly.

Merlin shook his head. "There's no point asking them. I doubt they could help me with this kind of training problem."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Just then, an amused, teasing voice suddenly came from the doorway of the indoor training grounds.

Hearing the cheerful laugh, Merlin turned his head. Two tall figures had appeared at the entrance.

"Heh-heh! Junior Merlin, I can't just pretend I didn't hear that!"

The speaker was the purple-haired young man. His smile was carefree, but he meant no harm.

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you, and we'll see if I can help? You shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly. Who knows? Maybe I really can solve your problem."

As he spoke, Fulvio took off his shoes and walked over with his younger sister Teresa.

Merlin stood up and narrowed his eyes as he studied him. As Fulvio approached, the sharp yet supple aura forged through countless trials washed over Merlin.

Standing before Merlin, Fulvio held out his right hand with a smile.

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Fulvio, your senior brother. And you are...?

"Merlin? Or Laplace. Merlin, the criminal wanted by the Four Kingdoms?"